


Safe and Sound

by honeydonnie



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Episode: s03e21 Same As It Never Was, Post-Same As It Never Was, SAINW, raphdon brotp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 11:50:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16701997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeydonnie/pseuds/honeydonnie
Summary: Donatello would rather bury his nightmares but Raphael reminds him that he doesn't have to deal with his fears alone.





	Safe and Sound

**Author's Note:**

> Slight change from canon, instead Leo, Usagi, and Splinter defeat the Damiyo's son and get Mikey, Raph, and Donnie back after. 
> 
> If you see any mistakes or have any suggestions as to how I can improve the story, please do inform me! I'm a slut for comments sooo,,  
> ANYWAYS hope you enjoy!

Don landed on his back in the middle of the lair. His head ached from the impact and his vision was blurred. What’s happening? Where am I? 

“Raph! Leo! Donnie’s back!” Don turned to face where the voice was coming from. He saw the abstract figure of his younger brother.

“Mikey? Is that you?” He felt two pairs of arms pick him up and carry him onto the couch. His vision still hadn’t cleared up and it was hard for him to process the voices he was hearing.

“‘He hit his head pretty hard.”

“No shit Leo, what’d you expect from falling 30 feet onto cement.”

“Dudes, is he okay?”

“Yeah Mikey, Donnie will be fine. The fall just has him a bit off right now”

“Shut up both of ya! He’s sobering up.”

Donatello’s vision cleared up and he was able to see all three of his brothers in front of him. He stared at them in shock, just moments ago he had seen their lifeless bodies lying on the floor but here they were; young, alive and well. Maybe this was another dimension? Maybe this was nothing but a cruel trick by the same creature that had sent him to that horrible future. He quickly grabbed a hold of his staff and jumped off of the couch to face his brothers in a defensive pose.

“What year is this?!” He yelled and his brothers looked at him with concern.

“Donnie,” Mikey began, “hey bro, are you o-”

“What year is this!?” Don repeated in a firmer, louder voice.

“Don, calm down, it’s 2005” Leo said and Don’s body visibly untensed. He let go of his bow and stared at his brothers for a second before dropping to his knees and burying his face in his hands.

“You guys are okay, you guys are alive.” Don sobbed.

Raph didn’t know how to react. They had all just returned from the different locations they had been sent out to and had been discussing the exciting adventure each had had, but it seemed that Don had a different experience than them. He felt joy to see Donatello’s return but now his heart sank to his stomach at the sight of his younger brother sobbing. Don was a secluded turtle, he didn’t really let stuff get to him, so whatever he had seen must’ve been truly horrifying. Raph got down on his knees and came to his brothers side and wrapped his arms around him. He felt Leo and Mikey do the same. Don raised himself to hug Raphael and buried his face in Raphs neck. Don clung to him so tightly and with such strength that his arms began to hurt, but still he didn’t let go. Leo was rubbing circles into Don’s arms and Mikey scratched and rubbed his shell in an effort to calm him down. Besides deep worry, Raphael felt hot anger run through his body. He wanted to know who was the cause of Don’s despair and he wanted to hurt them in unimaginable ways. But his brother came first, so he kept holding on.

After a while Don’s cries subdued to whimpers and soft sniffles. Leo and Mikey went off to fetch Master Splinter but came back to see Don had drifted off to sleep in Raphaels arms. Mikey reached out to wake Don up but stopped his movements halfway when he saw Raph give him the coldest death stare. Master Splinter seemed to agree with Raphael. 

“I think it is best to let Donatello rest, my sons. We don’t know what could possibly have him in such a state of despair but I believe it is best not to ask him at the moment.” Splinter stepped closer to speak directly to his second oldest son, “Raphael, please carry your brother to his room and head to sleep after, the same goes for the two of you.” Splinter said to Leo and Mickey. “Today has been an eventful day for all of us and we need to rest. We will not practice tomorrow, I don’t think any of us are in the right headspace for it. 

Leo and Mikey stood up and bowed at their master, before heading to their respective rooms they both reached out and squeezed Donnie’s shoulder. Raphael lifted Don up bridal style and began making his way to Donnie’s room. 

“Raphael,” Splinter said stopping Raph, “keep a close eye on your brother. You two are particularly close and I believe that he’ll talk to you about his situation more than he would me or either of your brothers.” 

“Will do, Master Splinter.” He gave a slight bow and headed on his original path. 

Raph opened the door to Don’s room and walked to the ladder that led to the bed. He cradled his brothers head closer to his body and placed his left arm under Don’s legs while he used his right to help him climb up. He laid Don on the bed and tucked him under the blankets. Don began to squirm slightly in his sleep and Raph was afraid that he might wake up. He rubbed down Don’s shoulders and that seemed to calm him enough to stop moving.

 

“What happened to ya, Donnie-boy?” Raph sighed. He began making his way down the ladder but every step down made his stomach ache with worry. What if Donnie wakes up alone and freaks out again? I could stay here, but Splinter said to go straight to my room after. He thought and just as he was about to open the door he heard Don’s voice.

“No…no…Raph please no…” Upon hearing his name his decision was made. He closed the door to the room, went up the ladder and sat at the foot of the bed. He laid his shell and head against the wall and tried to sleep but Donnie’s sleep talking made his worry spike with every word, so instead he just sat there looking over his brother.

Don stayed quiet for a while and his sleep talk was replaced with soft whimpers every so often. Raph’s heart broke at the sight of his brothers despair. He wanted to wake Don up but he was afraid that if he did Don wouldn’t go back to sleep or possibly kick him out. He reached out barely stroked his arm before Donnie recoiled away from his hand. He progressively worsened and Don began to talk again, he started kicking and grasping at the sheets. His voice came out hoarse as if he was drowning and desperately trying to take in air.

“PLEASE NO…PLEASE…DON’T LEAVE ME.” Donatello began shaking violently and Raph quickly made his way towards him as he saw Don reaching the edge of bed. Raphael reached out and caught him just as he was about to fall off of the bed. Don’s eyes opened and in the darkness he struggled against the dark figure that held him.

“Get off! Get off!” He yelled.

“Don, stop, it’s me, it’s okay it’s only me, Raph.”

“Raph?” Don stopped struggling and his eyes tried to adjust to the darkness.

“Hold up, Donnie.” Raphael let go of Donatello and climb down the ladder to turn on the lights. Don could see now and he could see his brother who was climbing up towards him. The shock of waking up was still in him but as soon as it faded he felt his eyes water. Raph was on the bed again and took a hold of Donnie. He held his brother while he tried to get back to his senses and whispered sweet nothings to him. Don had a million thoughts going through his head, he wished he could just get them to shut up. Too loud, everything is too loud. 

“How could you just abandon us like that?”

“Alright Raph, let’s finish this once and for all”

“You are the last of your kind, Donatello!”

Above his too loud thoughts he heard the voice of his older brother.

“It’s okay Donnie, It’s okay. I’m here, you’re okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Raphael’s voice seemed quiet his head down and in no time his thoughts subdued completely and he became aware of the strong arms holding him. He looked up at and his brother saw the worry in his eyes. 

 

“Donnie you have to tell me what happened.” Raphael saw the way Don tensed and decided that maybe it Don wasn’t ready.

 

“I can’t Raph, not right now. I can’t.” Don admitted in a quiet, defeated voice. Raph saw that it would be impossible for either of them to go back to sleep so he had an idea. 

 

“C’mon Donnie,” He said, “Let’s go to the living room we’ll watch a movie. You can pick.” Donnie nodded and stood up. 

 

They headed to the living room and sat down at the couch. Don was looking through the different movie titles when Raph stood up. 

 

“Where are you going?” he asked with more fear than he expected.

 

“It’s okay Donnie, I’m only going to the kitchen I’ll be right back.” 

 

“Okay, hurry though.”

 

In the kitchen Raph found himself in a predicament. He couldn’t cook for shit. He looked through the pantries for ideas but nothing came to mind. Thankfully he found a can of soup and whipped it open and put it in the microwave.

 

Don had decided on the movie but was becoming paranoid when Raph didn’t return. What’s keeping him? As if on cue he walked in that moment with a bowl in his hand.

 

“Here, it’ll make you feel better.” He passed Don the plate and Don smiled at the gesture. Raph wasn’t the most affectionate of the group but moments like these reminded him how caring his  
brother can be. 

 

“Thanks, Nurse Raphie.”

 

“Alright, no soup for you.” Don laughed and took the plate out of Raphael reach. Raph felt a wave of relief at seeing Don laugh again It made him feel like he was doing something right. He sat down next to Don who scooted in closer and laid his head on his shoulder.

 

“Alright Donnie-boy, what documentary are you torturing me with tonight?” Raph said in the lightened mood.

 

“You secretly like them don’t lie, besides I had something else in mind.” Don lifted up the disk.

 

“Mulan, huh, brings back memories.”

 

“You mean when we snuck out to go see it?” Donnie placed the disk on the dvd player and the Disney title screen played.

 

“I think you mean when you begged me to take you, saying that you had already asked for permission which, we found out by the ass whooping we got from Splinter, was a lie.” 

 

“It was worth it though, wasn’t it?” Don said sitting back down on the couch next to Raph who wrapped an arm around him.

 

“Yes. Yes it was.” Raph said with a smile.

 

XXX

Over the course of the movie Don had scooted closer and closer to Raph until he was curled up to Raph’s side, hugging his arm. The movie credits rolled and Don’s heart began race. I can’t go back to sleep, I don’t want to have that nightmare again. Maybe Raph will let me play another film? Fuck! He won’t, he looks tired. 

Raph felt Don’s grip on him tighten when the movie ended and with Don’s chest pressed to his arm he could feel his brother’s heart racing. 

“Donnie, look at me.” Don looked up at Raph with so much fear in his eyes and Raph understood that leaving him alone wasn’t a good idea.

“Donnie, lets go to sleep, I’ll stay with you awhile.” 

They went back to the bedroom and Don’s steps up the ladder had a bit of a shake to them. When they reached the bed Don gripped Raph’s hand and pleaded,

“Don’t- don’t leave. Stay with me, please?” Raph gave his little brother a soft smile.

“I’m not going anywhere Donnie. Now scoot your ass over!” Don moved towards the edge of the bed closest to the wall and Raph laid beside him and pulled him towards his chest. Don laid his head on Raph shoulder and Raph wrapped his arms around him in a secure hold. In the cold of the night, Don felt warm and safe. 

Despite having Don right next to him, Raph felt his worry eat at him from the inside. He needed to know what was wrong with his little brother, but more importantly, he needed to know who he had to give a slow painful death to for hurting his brother. Don was fine now but he knew that it was a temporary fix, Don would pretend that nothing is wrong and keep it inside for as long as he could before he explodes and has another episode. Raph knew his brother better than anyone else, better than himself maybe, and he knew that he needed help. Whatever was bothering him clearly messed him up bad and Raph wasn’t just gonna stand by and watch him drown in fear. 

“Donnie, are you awake?” 

“...yeah” Don said quietly, embarrassed-like. “I don’t want to go back to sleep.”

“Donnie, tell me what happened.” Don tensed up at his words and curled closer to Raph, hiding his face into Raphael’s shoulder.

“Donnie, please, I can’t bear to see you like this and I don’t like not knowing how to help.” Don lifted his head and sat up, Raph did the same. Don kept looking downward and Raph could make out Don’s pained expression with the slight glows coming from various forms of machinery scattered across the room. It took a while before Don finally spoke up. 

“Raph, I can’t talk about it, not right now at least, It’s too fresh in my mind what I saw. If you want to help me right now Raph, just hold me tight and don’t let go until I wake up.”

“I’ll never let you go Donnie-boy, you’re stuck with me, sadly.” Raph said and Donnie smiled. They resumed the position they were in.

“Raph do me a favor? Sing that song I liked when we were kids.” Raph chuckled upon the request.

“Donnie, you know I’m a shit singer, you’re the Beyonce of the house not me”

“Raphie, c’mon please, for me.” Don always knew exactly what to say to make Raph give in to his every request.

“Dammit Donnie. Your evil ways of persuasion will not work on me!” Raph replied and Don laughed lightly.

“Ah shut up Raph and serenade me.” Raph cleared his voice. He couldn’t remember all the words to the song, so he started from what he knew.

“I remember tears streaming down your face, when I said I’d never let you go  
When all those shadows almost killed your light  
I remember you said ‘Don’t leave me here alone’  
But all that’s dead and gone and passed tonight”

At first Don had laughed to himself a little at Raph’s awkward, raspy voice but when he began actually noticing the words he sang it made his heart ache with pain. All the years he had sang the same song to his brothers when they needed comfort and never did he notice just what the words meant until now.

“Just close your eyes, the sun is going down”

Don felt so safe in Raph’s arms that he felt his eyes become heavy and his mind slip slowly out of conscience.

Raphael watched his younger brother as he sang. He saw Don’s eyes starting to slip and his body relaxed against him. The sight made all the embarrassment from having to sing worth it. 

When they were younger, the exact same scene would play from time to time but with Don usually singing. When they were tots, living underground was hard on their tender minds. At night, pipes would creek and strange noises could be heard coming from the sewers which would scare them to no ends, it also didn’t help much that Splinter gave them seperate rooms at a very young age. Sometimes, Splinter would have to leave for days on end so he could collect provisions and needed supplies. Those nights were the hardest and they found themselves all sneaking into Donnie’s room, which was filled with soft glowing lights that emanated from half finished experiments he kept for comfort. They would all bunch up together on the bed and it wouldn’t be long before someone would ask Don for a lullaby. Anyone could’ve done it instead but there was a softness and warmth to Donnie’s voice that neither of them could imitate. His lullabies would wrap you up and hold you in a comforting way. Raph hoped that what he was singing gave Don the same effect.

“You’ll be alright, no one can hurt you now” he sang with slightly more emphasis and tightening his hold on Don, it was his way of letting him know that he meant that phrase. Don seemed to understand and leaned in to him more.

“Come morning light, you and I’ll be safe and sound” 

He finished the lullaby and looked down at his little brother curled up against him, sleeping soundly. Yeah, he thought to himself, definitely worth it. 

XXX

Raph woke up to the sounds of footsteps and whispers coming from outside. He looked down to see Don’s sleeping figure which had a death grip on his arm. He slowly freed himself of Don’s grasp and headed towards the living area to see what was causing all the noise. Looking down he saw Master Splinter, Mikey, and Leo all talking in worried, hushed voices. He dropped down to the first floor, startling them and was immediately bombarded with questions.

“Is he okay?” “Did he sleep well” “Did he tell you what he saw” “do you think hell be okay?” 

There were too many questions to answer and Raph couldn’t answer or process them all at once. “Shut up! You’ll wake him up!” Leo and Mikey halted their curiosity instantly.

“My son,” Splinter began, “we all are worried about Donatello’s well-being. Please tell us you have some news.” Raph sighed sadly. “He’s not okay, I don’t know what he saw but it must’ve been bad. I think he’s a bit better but he still won’t talk and I don’t think you bozos being up on his ass about it will make anything better.” Raph said directing his attention to Leo and Mikey.

“You’re right, Raph” Leo said, “all of us coming to him suddenly will probably overwhelm him more than help him.”

“Leonardo, why don’t you and Michelangelo go for a run on the rooftops? It’ll give Donatello the quiet he needs at the moment and it’ll allow both of you to exert your tension.” Master Splinter suggested much to Leo’s surprise. It was late morning and the city would be bursting with people.

“With all due respect Master, I don’t think that is good idea consider-”

“Ah yeah! Day run, here I come!” Mikey ran out the lair as fast as his legs could take him and before Leo could finish his protest he chased after him to make sure his youngest brother didn’t get into trouble. 

“Raphael, I will be heading to April’s for the rest of the day. I trust you will keep an eye on your brother.”

XXX

Don woke up alone in his room, noticing that he was completely alone he began to panic. No no no no no. Not again. Not again. He stood and looked around the room for some kind of way to know what year is was when Raph came in, his youth in display rather than the waredown of age. The sight calmed him and reminded him that he was no longer in that horrid dimension.

“Hey.” He greeted softly, “How’d you sleep?”

“Like a baby.” he looked at the clock on his wall and noted that it was past 10 o’clock, “Mikey is usually yelling at the TV at this hour, what’s going on?”

“Mikey and Leo went out for a run, Splinter is at April’s.” 

“They went out?! At this hour?” 

“Splinter allowed them, he figured that too many people in the lair would get you overwhelmed.” Don ran his hand across his face and rubbed at his temples. He hadn’t meat to worry them. “I’ve worried you guys too much, I’m sorry.” 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Raph said and came to his brothers side, “you didn’t do anything wrong, you’re having a hard time and we get it.”

Despite Raph’s words, Don felt an uncomfortable guilt build up in his chest.

“Oh no you don’t, I know that face. You better not start blaming yourself.”

“No! Raph you don’t get it, it is my fault.”

“Donnie, that monster was the one who sent you away. It’s his fault, not yours!”

“No Raph, not that! Everything else was my fault, I caused us to separate and to lose Master Splinter and Casey! It’s my fault we lose everything, that we lose each other. I couldn’t even save you guys, I couldn’t save you!” Don’s body started trembling and he kept ranting on about things Raph could not understand. The Shredder, Casey and Splinter, Leo being blind, Mikey not smiling. Not a word that Don spilled made any sense. Raph grabbed on to his brother’s shoulders and shook him to get his attention.

“Don, you aren’t making any sense! Please, I need to know what you saw so I can help you.”

“No Raph, I can’t talk about it, I just can’t, you’ll hate me.” Raphael felt a pain in his chest at Don’s words, he wondered how terrible of an experience did Don go through that cause him to believe he could ever hate him. Raphael hated a lot of things, he hated being compared to his elder brother, he hated the world for being so unfair to them, but the thing he hated the most was watching his siblings breakdown.

“Don, I could never hate you, no matter what, I’ll always care for you. You, Fearless, and the Nutball are all I have and all I need. I don’t care how bad it gets, I could never hate any of you.” Raph pulled Don by the arm to the couch. 

“Donnie, you remember that greed monster we fought back when Angel lost her brother?”

“How could I forget.”

“Well, when it trapped us, I saw something that fucked me up bad for a while.” Don looked at him with curiosity. “My nightmare was the shredder. I faced him and we fought and I managed to knock off his helmet and I-” The words got caught in his throat and he swallowed down the lump that was starting to form. Don noticed his uneasiness and moved closer and lightly scratched at Raph’s shell and rubbed his neck and chin. Most of their animal traits, besides physical ones, were gone but the calming feeling that they got when their face and neck was rubbed persisted through their mutation. Raph leaned into the touch and felt the pain in his chest decimate slightly. “I got his helmet off and I saw myself. I was the shredder.” Donatello was stunned at what he heard but said nothing in fear that if he did Raph would stop. “After Leo pulled me us out I thought it was over, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was scared. I started thinking that maybe I am bad, I’d never want to become like the Shredder but what if somehow I did?” He took in a deep breath and his stammering heart slowed slightly. “It ate at me for such a long time but then I realized that it was all in my head. I’d never become like him because of you guys. I love you guys too much, the shredder loves nothing but power. The shredder’s got his power and money but I got you guys, and personally I think I’m the one winning.” It took a second for Don to take everything in and he looked at his elder with nothing but admiration after. Raph carried that pain for such a long time and he felt guilty for not noticing. Besides guilt, he felt an air of openness within them, it was spill-your-guts-even-if-it-means-you’ll-ugly-cry-time. 

“Don I’m sorry I’ve been pushing you so hard to tell me, I know how fucking hard it is, but I also know that you’ll feel much better if you do. Please Donnie,” He kissed Don’s temple lightly, a small affectionate gesture that had become uncommon among them as they grew older, “don’t push me away.”

“Okay,” he said almost whispering, “I was sent to a dimension 30 years in the future. I don’t know what happened to other me but somehow I had gone missing all those years. The shredder took over the world completely, and Master Splinter and Casey had died in a fight with him. I managed to get to you guys but you were all… different.” Raphael listened and couldn’t believe what he heard, the world Don described was nothing short of terrifying to think about. “Mikey, well, he thought I had abandoned you guys and resented me for the most part. You and Leo had gone your seperate ways too, I guess there was too much tension between you two. When I got both of you back, Leo didn’t notice me all that much. It was like I was just a piece of his past he forgot about and didn’t mind all too much. But you. You still had hope. We faced the shredder again and I failed you.” Raph looked at him in confusion.

“What do you mean?” 

“We won, he was defeated but I lost all of you. I lost everything.” Don felt empty, he didn’t feel the pain in his chest anymore or the fear. His body was tired and for the first time his mind wasn’t racing with thoughts.

The sheer horror of what Don said made Raph’s blood boil. His little brother whom he had always tried to protect had to witness their worst fear and believe it to be true. 

“Donnie, Look at me,” Don looked to meet blazing golden orbs that held so much intensity, “That will never happen, ever. You know how I know that? Because I would never let anyone take you away from me. We stay together, no matter what. You’re stuck with me whether you like it or not. I’m never letting you go, I promise” Don wanted to laugh and cry at the same time but the way Raph said what he did made him believe his words to be true. It made him trust in Raph that that horrible future would never come. “You and I’ll be safe and sound.” Don isn’t sure when tears started streaming down his face but his face was drenched and his eyes hurt a bit. He lifted himself up a little and kissed Raph’s cheek as a thank you. Raph responded by pulling him close and returning the gesture. 

“I love you Raph, thank you.” Don said tiredly. 

“I love you too Brainiac, and don’t you forget it.”


End file.
